The effects of vision impairment and blindness on children can last a lifetime. Most children with vision impairments need a multidisciplinary team of teachers, child development specialists, and social workers. Blindness often is associated with other risk factors, disease processes, and/or disabilities. In the United States, the Social Security Administration defines children as legally blind when best corrected visual acuity is less than 20/200. The US law concerning accommodations for children with impairments is part of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and specifically the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers preschool-age and school-age children. Accommodations for children with vision impairment include low vision aids allowing them to stay in mainstream classes and schools.
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